1. Technical Field
Exemplary embodiments relate to an apparatus for cleaning a rotation body and a vacuum pump having the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Typically, a process chamber used in a process of manufacturing semiconductor devices or flat panel displays performs a series of processes using various kinds of chemical materials.
Process byproducts and residual gases generated in the process chamber are transmitted to a gas scrubber configured to separate and discharge the process byproducts and the residual gases using a gas discharger such as a vacuum pump.
The vacuum pump includes a stator and a rotor. The stator has an inlet port and an outlet port disposed therein. The rotor is disposed in a pump chamber in the stator. The vacuum pump may be classified as a roots type, a screw type, a claw type, etc.
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary vacuum pump.
Referring to FIG. 1, the vacuum pump includes a rotary shaft 11, a pair of lobes 12, and a first diaphragm 15. A second diaphragm (not shown) may be disposed opposite to the first diaphragm 15. A cylinder wall (not shown) may be disposed surrounding a pump chamber 17 between the first diaphragm 15 and the second diaphragm. The cylinder wall has an inlet port and an outlet port formed therein. The cylinder wall, the first diaphragm 15 and the second diaphragm constitute the stator.
The rotary shaft 11 passes through the first diaphragm 15 and the second diaphragm. The pair of opposite lobes 12 is attached to the rotary shaft 11. The pair of lobes 12 and the rotary shaft 11 constitute the rotor 13. That is, the rotor 13 is disposed in the pump/chamber 17. Two rotors 13, engaged with each other, are disposed in the pump chamber 17.
The rotors 13 are rotated to suction a gas from the inlet port into the pump chamber 17, and the suctioned gas is discharged through the outlet port. That is, the inlet port is connected to the process chamber, and the outlet port is connected to a gas scrubber. Process byproducts are suctioned from the process chamber into the pump chamber 17 through the inlet port provided in the cylinder wall, and then discharged toward the gas scrubber from the pump chamber 17 through the outlet port.
The process byproducts are coagulated while passing through the pump chamber to generate process byproduct lumps 19. Some of the process byproduct lumps 19 stick to the inner surface of the pump chamber 17.
Therefore, when the process byproduct lumps 19 are stuck between the lobes 12 and the first diaphragm 15 or the second diaphragm, rotation of the rotors 13 may be impeded.
In addition, the process byproduct lumps 19 may shorten disassembly and maintenance cycles of the vacuum pump, and cause failures of the apparatus.
Proposed solutions to process byproduct lumps 19 include techniques for heating the stator. Such techniques require that the vacuum pump include materials having high heat transfer efficiency, additional apparatus and increased energy to heat the stator.